Obituary
78. As emblematic of the Dead as Jerry. Unlike Jerry not a great guitarist and not a great singer really but had the looks in a band of not great lookers and there for the whole ride.
As with others in the Dead the Empire State doing the tie syed treatment.
Great clip. Love how he forgets the first line of the first verse! R.I.P.
The Dead played “Truckin'” 520 times in their career. And Bob flubbed a line in each one of them. That song just wouldn’t have been the same without an error somewhere!
RIP. What a long strange trip, etc. Unlike Spinal Tap, it seems it’s the drummers who have the longevity.
Always thought Bob not Jerry was The Man.
Was a health nut post sixties unlike the rest of em.
“smoking” is bad for you. He had a “lung-related disorder”. A number of pals who maintained their keen herbal indulgences have checked out in recent years. All in their early to mid-60s. I do wonder if dope smoking hastened this. It’s now but a memory for me, and I no longer miss it. Views on hippie health viz-a-viz the Devil’s lettuce?
Ach! I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be digging out Ace and Kingfish today…
He always looked surprised, if delighted, to be in the band, whether in pony-tailed skateboarder look of younger days, or the grizzled veteran athlete look of later years. I hope he will be chuckling at the obits, all commending the deftness of his playing. I liked the one that put his skill down to a lifelong love of free jazz.
He embodied the life of the Dead.
Bob Weir’s Blue Mountain album is played frequently in the Sphinx audio room
R.I.P. Bob
His solo record Ace was the best Dead album that never was…
Yes, indeed…
It’s been a rough year-and-a-bit for us Deadheads, with Phil passing in October 2024 and Donna leaving us two months ago. Only yesterday I was in the car, playing the 23 January 1970 show from Honolulu Civic Auditorium, and thinking how great it was that Bob Weir was still with us. And now he isn’t.
If you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary “The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir”, I can heartily recommend it. Weir seems settled and content after a lifetime playing music. At the age of 16, he’d bumped into Jerry at an instrument shop in Palo Alto and got on the bus. Then, somehow, that long, strange trip had taken off, with Weir and his agile, fluid rhythm guitar as Garcia’s wingman.
Only Mickey, Billy, and Tom “T.C.” Constanten (and Bruce Hornsby if you count him as a Grateful Dead member) now remain from the band that means so much to so many of us. Safe travels, Bob, and thanks. Now … I’m going to dig out that 46-minute version of “Playing in the Band” from Seattle, 21 May 1974….
That Netflix doc is excellent. I’ve watched it a few times.
I hope he’s grateful now!
*sorry. I couldn’t help myself. To be fair, I’m only saying rest in peace*
Didn’t Mark Ellen say in another life he would have fancied Bob Weir?